


Princes of the Universe

by dontbelieveinanyone



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Brian is smart, F/M, Freddie is a Sweetheart, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, John is shy, M/M, Magic, Minor Violence, Multi, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Paul Prenter Being an Asshole, Princes Of The Universe - Song, Roger is cute, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:27:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29291340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dontbelieveinanyone/pseuds/dontbelieveinanyone
Summary: In 1975, after the release of the "A Night at the Opera" album, Queen are at the top of their glory and everything can't be more perfect for them.But in a parallel universe, lots of tensions are dominating the Kingdom of Rhye because of the rivalry between the two leaders of this world. The Black Queen and the White Queen are sisters, and one of them has a plan that could make everything collapse.
Relationships: Brian May/Chrissie Mullen, Dominique Beyrand/Roger Taylor, Jim Hutton/Freddie Mercury, John Deacon & Brian May & Freddie Mercury & Roger Taylor, John Deacon/Veronica Tetzlaff
Comments: 6
Kudos: 7





	1. Prologue

_ Castle of the Black Queen, North of the Kingdom of Rhye, year MCMLXXV _

"THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Roared a feminine voice, before the sound of a crashing glass echoed all over the throne room.

"What's happening your majesty?" The royal advisor immediately rushed to her, checking if everything was okay. 

The majestic Black Queen was sat on her black velvet throne burying her face into her hands, the infinite train of her raven dress crossing almost completely the big red carpet that led to the her. Something was obviously wrong. 

"Are you hurt?" The guard handed his hand, accidentally grazing her.

"DON'T TOUCH ME IDIOT! KEEP YOUR DIRTY HANDS AWAY FROM ME!" Her strong voice yelled as she removed her face from her hands, revealing her glittering tiare and her very pale face that was soaked with leaky makeup. The Queen had cried. That was really bad.

"Come on! Tell me what's wrong! I will do everything I can to fix it your majesty!" The advisor regretted his words immediately. He didn't even knew what was the problem and he had already given to promise to arrange everything...

The Black Queen sighed loudly. "Even thought you helped me a lot through the years, this time you won't show any utility..." Her cold tone could offend any person who didn't know her, but the advisor knew better than that. He actually knew that she was actually seeking help indirectly.

"At least, tell me what's the problem your majesty... I will try anything-" The Black Queen stared deep into his eyes. That wasn't a dark stare.

She sighed for the second time. "The bitch known as my sister or the White Queen is bothering me more than everything in this land..." The Queen paused for a second. "Everyone is always admiring her, loving her, bowing before her... What do I get?" Her sad face was truly heartbreaking. 

"You have a powerful army, an enormous kingdom, a wealth that almost overcome your sister's, the most wonderful castle, how could you ask for more!" He answered without any hesitation. His Queen was everything for him and he was gonna let her being grieved like that.

"But it's still missing something..." The pale woman concluded. "I'm not as powerful as she is..." She closed her eyes before taking a long inspiration and got up from her throne "I need something stronger than her voice, I need something that could destroy everything good that happen on the bright side of the kingdom, I need the public cheering me and bowing down like it did during the good-old past..." The Queen was now staring across the huge window. "I can feel that someone has what I need somewhere..." She finished as she touched delicately the thin glass. 

The advisor thought intensively. Something stronger than her sister's voice he kept repeating in his head. But he didn't see how someone in Rhye could have a more powerful voice than her sister. That was unimaginable.

Suddenly, he had an idea. "You may excuse me your majesty..." He announced before leaving the principal room of the castle. The Queen didn't even answer and kept staring at the landscape that offered the view from this place.

The advisor went down the endless dark stairs to reach that kind of dilapidated door hidden under them. He looked right and left before discretely entering it and carefully closing the door behind him. This underground was a complete secrete between him and the Black Queen. No one else knew about it. 

The man took a torch and burn it up to illuminate the stone stairs that were going down in a round way. In fact, going to this underground was really perilous because of those who weren't really safe. It always looked like they could collapse at any instant. 

When he reached the flat ground again, he followed the way that led him to a bright green light. It was actually a giant fire that was creating that source of light. When the advisor arrived in that final room, he hung the torch on the wall and approached the fire. This one was lighting up all the small place. 

He knelled before the flames and looked at them intensively. "Show me the most powerful voice in the Kingdom of Rhye!" He ordered in a strong voice. Immediately, the flames began to move and to form a silhouette. With no surprise, it was a portrait of the White Queen that the fire shown.

The advisor was a little bit upset by that news, even if he obviously knew that the chance of more powerful voice than the White Queen's living in Rhye was really thin, almost non existant. 

But this man wasn't the royal advisor of the Black Queen for nothing and had more than an idea in his head. A stronger voice that could deal with his Queen's sister had to exist, even if it wasn't in Rhye... What about that other planet... The Earth like they all call it? There was necessarily the voice they were seeking there.

"Show me the most powerful voice on Earth!" 

The flames were then moving in a weird way, like every time the Earth was mentioned in a request. These one began to form a little silhouetto of a man. 

"Show me his face!" The advisor began to lose his patience.

The fire did a king of "zoom" and shew the details of the man's face. That was actually a pretty little head. Long thick black hair, brown eyes, a long nose, a cute mouth with two little teeth that were a little bit exceeding on his lips and quite small sunken cheeks. A very exotic face to be honest.

"Interesting..." Mumbled the advisor. He pressed his hand against the boy's face, so the magic fire could give him some informations. He quickly got some.

_Freddie Bulsara. 5th September 1946. Zanzibar. Lead singer of the band Queen. Living in England. London. Kensington. Currently situated at the Ridge Farm._

The advisor retired his hand from the fire, not wanting to know more. He wanted to keep some suspense, that was always better. He looked one last time at the fire which was showing that Freddie currently playing piano in a room that seemed to be a dinning room, while singing at the same time.

The advisor smiled. He had already a plan forming in his mind to get that pretty face here.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queen arrive on the first step of their American _A Night At The Opera_ tour.

_ Waterbury, Connecticut, USA, 27 January 1976 _

** 3rd person POV: **

"Guys our song is first in America!" Exclaimed the drummer of Queen, a new extravagant Brtitish rock band that was becoming more and more famous around the world. This drummer's name was Roger Taylor, an ocean-eyed blonde man that you could mistake with a girl every time because of his pretty face and his high-pitched raspy voice. 

Their song, _Bohemian Rhapsody_ , thought it has been destroyed by the media at first because of duration and unknown meaning, was now first of the chart, thanks to the boys' perseverance. 

"Freddie I must admit that this song was a very good idea." Smiled Brian May, the guitarist with a smart forehead in addition to his long dark curly hair and tall legs.

"I must agree with Brian." Added John Deacon, the very shy green-eyed bassist. He was a very observant one thought he didn't speak much.

"Thank you my darlings!" Thanked Freddie Mercury, the flamboyant frontman with thick ebony hair and deep brown eyes. He was often ashamed of his teeth thus he hid them most of time, but big teeth or not, the power of his wonderful and legendary voice could make anyone kneel before him.

They however had to admit that when Freddie announced in a confident way that they were going to perform an opera-style song, the boys were kind of worried, especially Roger when he learnt that there were falsettos to do. But, finally, they were right to listen to their singer. 

Thanks to the enormous success of the song and the album, _A Night At The Opera_ , they were now on a huge tour around the United-States, before going to Japan and then Australia and God knows how much they were excited.

Their cab stopped in front of their hotel with a well-known brake's noise. The driver got off the car to open the door, to a sun-glassed Freddie, followed by Roger, Brian and then John. They all were exhausted because of the time-change but that wasn't going to prevent them from performing the very evening. 

The band took all their luggage and stuff and made their way to the enormous building in which they were going to spend some amazing days. 

It was Brian and his precious Red Special which crossed the glass door first. 

The Red Special was literally everything for the guitarist. It was unimaginable for him to left his instrument alone for five freaking seconds. Even in the plane, he had to deal with a employee who advised him to let them put his resplendent guitar in the baggage compartment. The poodle-haired boy ended up sleeping holding his stringed instrument in the arms, like if it was a teddy. Oh that was just Brian being Brian.

The four boys arrived in front of the reception desk, asking for their keys. When the receptionist handed them the tiny metallic object, he inspected them in a suspicious way. 

Fortunately Freddie had sunglasses and couldn't be recognized in any way.

"OH MY GOD IT'S QUEEN!" Yelled a young woman, pointing them with her trembling finger, her eyes wide opened. That made all the people in the reception looking at them. This was definitely not going to end well. 

"I am keen on your music! Would it annoys you if I ask you to sign me an autograph?" Another receptionist began, handing a pen to Brian. "I don't think it's-" This one tried to decline it but it was already too late.

A huge loud crowd was beginning to surround them. "Can you sign my album please?" "Roger I wanna marry you!" "What's the meaning of Bohemian Rhapsody?" "Brian do you think you are a better singer than Freddie?" "Please Freddie answer us!" "John how is it like to be in the shadow of your three others friends?" The four boys stepped back as far as they could until they realized they were completely trapped by a myriad of fans. 

They know that if they weren't moving now, these people were gonna kill them by suffocation.

"Guys, follow me!" Brian cried out, trying to cover the racket of the mob. The three others tried to apply the guitarist's orders by spitting a little way against the wall until they reached the elevators.

Brian arrived first with almost no troubles, then John and then Roger, after he finished struggling against a girl who was hanging on his foot, crying of joy. 

They tried to catch their breath. "That was close" Panted the drummer, leaning his back against the wall. That was until the three boys realized the same thing at the exact same time.

"Where's Fred?"

***

"WE HAVE FREDDIE MERCURY!" Yelled a voice, what caught Brian, Roger and John out of guard.

The poor frontman was stuck on the cold tiled floor. He couldn't even move because of all the people who were touching him everywhere, mostly blocking his arms and legs. But the worst part was those two girls who were pulling his scarf, which was consequently tightening around his neck, preventing him from breathing properly. _I am gonna die. They're all going to kill me._ These thoughts were haunting the singer's brain. 

The lack of air made was slowly making him lose his consciousness, what made him panic even more. _Come on Freddie you're a boy, you must get out from here!_ He gathered his last forces to wrestle like a crazy man, but that was only making it worse. The frontman couldn't hear or talk any more. His eyes were shutting incontrolably. 

That was until he was suddenly freed from his scarf and his arm was caught by a few other hands that were pulling him outside the crowd. 

The singer tried to grip those hands that helped him to get up. One of his hand was slowing placed around a thin shoulder and then he felt another hand pressing against his hip, aiding him to walk. 

When Freddie achieved to open his eyes, he immediately recognized the tall figures of Brian and John which were holding him and had just saved him. 

***

Brian threw Freddie and himself in the elevator that was being kept open by Roger. The singer took a long inspiration, relieved to breath again, while the drummer was harassing the button of the elevator that served to close the doors. 

"Are you okay Freddie? Do you feel any pain?" Asked the guitarist more than just a little worried. 

"Don't worry darling!" The singer then coughed without any control. "I'm fine, thank you for saving me my dears." He was truly grateful towards them. 

"These fans were officially the craziest ones I've ever seen in my entire life." Affirmed Roger's raspy voice. "Sometimes I wonder if they just want an autograph or our corpses as a proof they've met us." The three others giggled at his remark. He was actually right.

The band was of course owing everything to the crowd that was cheering them at every concert. But sometimes, those people who were supposed to love and support them were going one way too far and that was appalling. 

"Nevermind Fred, take a look at the marks your scarf left on your neck." Freddie immediately looked at his reflection in the mirror after Brian's remark. There was indeed a big scarlet circle that was tracing his entire throat. The singer immediately flinched because of the pain when he tried to touch it. 

"Oh Freddie!" Roger was the first to hug Freddie before he was joined by John and then Brian. Their cuddling was officially the most comforting thing ever. 

A big silence settled between the boys until the cuddled frontman broke it. "May I remember you that _Bohemian Rhapsody_ is still first in America." 

The crowd from earlier was nothing compared to the excitation that invaded the small metallic room. The four boys were now screaming and jumping of joy. They did it. After all of those years of efforts and hard work, Queen finally reached the highest level. 

However, the elevator didn't seem to share their joy because it suddenly stopped working, doing a bizarre noise. For the band, it was a real emotional thrill ride. They were now all holding each others, frightened as ever. 

It was the bassist who suddenly broke out in tears. "WE ARE FIRST AND WE ARE GOING TO DIE!" 

The three others couldn't help but explode at Deaky's remark.

***

After one entire hour stuck in the elevator, the little band finally arrived in their room. To save money, they had booked only one room with two large beds. Freddie would share one with John and Brian with Roger, as usual.

They all collapsed on their bed, still laughing. "Why do things like that only happen to us?" Sighed the singer in a funny way. 

"Oh shut it Freddie it's all your fault!" The drummer threw his pillow at Freddie who had the ability to catch before it could smash his head.

"Oh you want to play that game Blondie?" The frontman said in a challenging tone before throwing himself on the blonde, preventing him from moving. "Deaky, Bri you know what to do now!"

The guitarist and the bassist slowly approached the drummer. The green-eyed boy caught Roger's legs and the curly-haired one positioned himself on top of him. The blonde tried desperately to get rid of them in vain. "Guys, please, don't do this I beg you." He implored with his sapphire eyes. The boys just smirked as an answer.

They all began to practice their favorite activity on tour which consisted to tickle the drummer with no pity while he was screaming of laughter, wrestling and begging them to stop. This USA tour was eventually beginning in a very good way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I suck at beginning stories lmaoo


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queen performs their concert in Waterbury but John lacks of self-confidence.

_ Waterbury, Connecticut, USA, 27 January 1976 _

** John's POV **

_Inhales. Exhales. Inhales. Exhales._

It might seem idiot, but I seriously began to think that my lungs weren't filling by themselves. I was trying in vain to get rid of that nausea but, of course, my stomach was as broken as my breathing.

Tonight, we were going to perform our first show in the USA.

I know that it's pretty uncommon to hear that from the bassist of a band as famous as Queen, but gigs aren't really my cup of tea. In fact, I'm not really into being on stage. It was exactly the same scene every time. The projectors which are dazzling you, the fear of having something that's not working well and above all, the people who are ogling from the bottom to the top. Actually, I'm not the one who should be complaining for that because it rarely happened to me since I'm always hidden behind the others, like the medias always kindly remind me. 

For some reasons, I knew I was someone shy since forever. During my childhood, I was always the only one who stayed cloistered inside his house while the others were hanging out with their friends. Some mean children were sometimes making fun of me for staying alone the whole time and the worst was that I let them walk all over me because I never knew what to answer to their insults and also because I didn't want to be nasty to anyone. 

To be honest, I didn't have friends at all until I passed the audition to be part of Queen. Oh dear God I think that I will remember that one day during all my life. I think it was the day I have been the shiest in my entire lifetime. But when I learnt that I was the chosen one, I realized that my shyness wasn't maybe a big defect of mine and that it could even be an asset! Well, it depended on the context of course...

I almost jumped when I feel someone sitting next to me backstage. That was Brian.

"You're ready for the gig Deaky?"

"I guess I am..." That was literally the worst answer I could give to the Red Special player. He was now going to ask me a thousand of questions as usual when he felt I wasn't okay. 

"Everything's gonna be fine Deaky, right?" He smiled and took both my hand between his skinny ones. "You can do anything you know that?" The advantage of having Brian as a friend was that he had always the right words to cheer you up. I smirked as an answer.

"Ready to go on stage my darlings?" I will let you guess who entered from nowhere with a black leotard which had diamonds on it.

"More than ever! We're gonna rock the Connecticut!" Roger's raspy voice sounded so excited that it warmed my heart. I had to breathe once and for all and to go ahead. I owed them that.

After how they took me under their wings when I was hardly a beginner, treated me as my friend and believed in me while I was one way younger than them, I owed them anything. Even if I sometimes hated the way they acted like if I was an innocent baby...

Shaken by a jolt, I got up from the little chair, quickly followed by Brian. A roadie passed his head through the backstage door. "Five minutes, boys!" He whispered before disappearing. 

Brian immediately went to check his Red Special and the pedals he could use, while Freddie was beginning to carefully take out his broken microphone. I imitated them by removing my bass from its case. I took the advantage of that to check if the accords were going well. That was also a mean for me to reduce my stress more or less. 

My brain began to show me the worst scenario that could happen while we were on stage, like the scene being on fire for no reason or one of us doing a malaise. 

I shook my head. These thoughts had to disappear right now.

The backstage's door opened again. "It is time, boys!" The roadie waved us to come with him. I breathed loudly and followed him like the others. 

"You ready Deaky?" Freddie gave me that challenging stare as usual and I actually answered the same thing as usual too: 

"I am"

After all what could go wrong?

***

_"Ladies and gentlemen. A Night At The Opera."_

And here we were going again: the deafening shouting, the projectors that go right into your face and the thousands of face staring straight at you. 

I quickly made my way to a spot where there weren't much lights so the people wouldn't be looking at me too much. I stared at my feet and held my bass, ready to play the rock session of _Bohemian Rhapsody_ which was the first song on the list.

I gave a quick look behind me, where Roger was settling at his drums and casually checking it. O

 _And if you fail?_ Asked the little voice in my head. _What are you going to do?_

I avoided to think about it. When you were cheered by thousands of people, you didn't have to think about that.

I breathed one more time and attempted an eye contact with Brian to show him I was ready. This one quickly saw and nodded same with a Roger a few seconds later. 

Our poodle-haired guitarist made the first riff and I followed him with not many difficulties with the melody of my bass guitar. 

***

"Thank you, thank you! Very nice to see you again!" Brian began to speak in the microphone. We had already done a dozen of songs and the exhaustion could be felt a little. Especially for me.

I'm not satisfied with what I'm doing. The moves of my fingers should more supple, light and easy, but tonight I couldn't do it right. I felt heavy, numb and completely lost. Since the beginning, I was desperately waiting for the music to invade me and make me forget that I am on stage like it did as usual.

"... This is _Flick of the Wrist_!" Announced Brian. Shit here we were going again.

I adjusted my bass on my shoulders and was ready to play again. I just didn't have to listen to the little voice in my head and everything would be fine.

Freddie began to play crazy piano chords, synchronized with Brian's high-pitched guitar and punctuated by Roger's banging. 

Even thought, I was playing all my partition right, I wasn't satisfied with myself. 

Our Persian singer began to sing with his magical voice. I tried to let myself being submerged with the music again and shut the voice somewhere in my thoughts.

For some reasons, the perfection of Freddie's vocal chords made me follow rhythm better. 

_D#, A, E#, F, A, E..._ Now the chords seemed more clear to me!

I achieved to synchronize myself better with Brian and Roger and to make my fingers travel against the huge strings. 

It was so relieving when I felt that sensation of well-being invade my body. That was it, the music was penetrating my soul, circulating through my veins and making me forget the fact that I was on stage-

I suddenly had to close my eyes because of the intensity of a very clear light. Goddammit, what was happening with projectors again? I heard the noises of the public decrease so I quickly put my arm above my eye to see through the lighting.

Oh God.

Oh no.

All eyes were turned over me. Everybody was now staring right at me with judging faces.

There was a bloody projector right above me. 

Panic began to seize me. It has to be a mistake. 

I tried to remain as calm as I could while I quickly stepped outside the projector's field. 

But this one immediately illuminated me again. It has to be a joke and if it was one, it wasn't funny at all.

I shifted again and the projector followed me again. I threw a terrified stare at Freddie who didn't seem to understand what was happening with the lights. 

I was one way too panicked to think clearly so I began to run with my bass in my arms to escape that freaking projector. I was sweating like hell and my stomach became a big knot that was eating my spinal column. 

I ran around all the stage and even attempted to hide behind Brian who seemed more than confused on what I was doing. I knew that people were laughing on my situation even if I didn't clearly hear them. 

I was trapped. Queen was done forever. Everybody was going to ashame me. 

Through the tears that were forming behind my eyes, I saw Roger's drum kit. That was my last chance. The spotlight could never reach me there.

I did a small sprint through the stage and hid myself behind Roger's drums. That was the most awful thing to do to my ears, but I haven't the choice. 

My hypothesis was right because there wasn't any spotlight above me any more. I tried to follow the music while freeing all the tears that would escape my eyes. 

***

I don't know how much time I stayed here, but not enough for me to calm down entirely. 

When I heard the beginning of God Save The Queen I knew that it was the end and that I've missed all the chances I had to save the situation. 

The only thing I wanted was to exit that bloody stage and hide somewhere where nobody would ever find me again. I had ruined my whole band career.

As soon as I saw Roger getting up, I unplugged my bass and sprinted backstage. I broke down in tears at once people couldn't see me any more.

 _You're a big failure. You're never enough. Failure. Failure. Failure._ The voice was right, I was a real failure. I've always been one.

I flinched when I felt a soft hand on my shoulder. "What happened Deaky?" Asked the drummer's voice. I just sobbed as an answer. I heard others footsteps approaching.

"John, sweetie, come here." Brian opened his arms to give me a hug. I didn't wait for more than two seconds before throwing myself against him crying even more. "There, there... Everything's all right..." He gently whispered while stroking my back. 

"THOSE SPOTLIGHTS WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE ON DEAKY! IS THAT HARD TO UNDERSTAND?" His singer was yelling against a technician because of him.

"Mr. Mercury I can promise you that this spotlight wasn't mean to move."

"THEN HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN WHAT OCCURED?" Spat Roger.

"I don't know, somebody had probably rigged it."

_See what you're doing to your band mates? Failure. You're just a huge burden. Failure. Brian's hugging you just because he has pity of you. They don't like you. Failure._

That was enough. I aggressively got rid of Brian's warm embrace and stormed out by the theatre's artists' entrance. I needed some fresh air right now.

I sat on the steps of the small stair in front of it and inhaled deeply. What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I do anything right? 

_You worth nothing. Useless. Burden._ The voice in my head had never been so violent. I deserved it though. I was useless. I neither had Freddie's artistic perfection or Brian's intelligence or Roger's sens of humour. I was just " _John the shy one_ ", " _John the quiet one_ ", " _John the shadow_ ". 

How could I have ever thought of being in a band? I wasn't made for that at all. I was made to work as an electrical engineer like I've always wanted to. Crowds and fans had weren't made for me. I should have known that.

I let my head fall on my thighs, attempting to empty my head.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

** 3rd person POV: **

"Are you sure he is in that small colosseum?" 

"Yes he is and for the 45th time, this is called a theatre! We need to use the right vocabulary if we want people to consider us like normal citizens!"

"Where's the entrance Paul?"

"You're the one holding the map idiot!" 

"Oh that's right... Alright we have to turn left after that tower and that's it."

"This is a building! Are you sure this is the way to access the artists' entrance?"

"It is supposed to be... What are all those noises?" 

"People who are exiting the theatre I guess." 

"Well then I wonder what kind of arena was so interesting to see-"

"Shut up! We're here!"

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it ^^


End file.
